Holiday Mini's Are Here! | Columbus, GA Photographer

Times available:
3-3:30
3:45-4:15
4:30-5
5:15-5:45
6-6:30
Session Fee must be paid in order to book your time slot. High Resolution images will include a Print Release so you can make as many copies or Christmas cards as your heart desires! Email me for more information or if you have any questions. It's going to be fun and the time slots will go fast so book early!

*This offer is one time only and may not be combined with any other offer or coupons.

I Heart Faces | Best Face-"People's Choice" Contest

This is a very, very exciting week over at I Heart Faces. It is the "People's choice" contest where we get to vote on the best entry! AND everyone is entering their very best face photo from the summer so there are lots of amazing entries to inspire you this week! You don't want to miss it! Make sure you head over to www.iheartfaces.com to check out the excitement! 

I Heart Faces | A Touch of Sun

I meant to enter this yesterday and time slipped away from me! This week at I Heart Faces it's all about showcasing the best light of all-the sun. I took this while shooting a wedding this summer. It was a perfect day and we ended it with a few last minute shots at sundown.

 It is such a beautiful challenge week-make sure you check it out at www.IHeartFaces.com

Avery-Senior Portraits | Columbus, GA Photographer

A farm, horses, pretty blue skies and a fun and beautiful Senior! The only thing that could mess up this session was the heat and a lack of clouds in the sky. I had a blast hanging out with Avery and her mom, Rita! I took Avery's brother's Senior portraits last year and then we had a family session last fall so Avery knew what to expect from a session with me! 

When we were talking about props for this session, Rita said, "Avery's main prop is going to be our two family dogs." I love when folks incorporate their pets into a session-after all, they are part of the family too! The dogs had a blast running around, free to go where they wanted. We let the dogs play and we took pictures, all over the property. I was sooooo thankful to have the dogs running around to scare away any possible snakes that could be hiding in the tall grass! Towards the end of the session when the dogs were getting a little tired, we called them over. I was afraid I may have made a huge mistake when I saw how dirty they had become. Thankfully Avery was such a great sport-along with her "props", and we got some great shots of them together! 

Rita and Avery, thanks for hiring me again to photograph your family! I had so much fun with you guys! I hope you have an amazing last year at Columbus High, Avery! As a former alumni, I must add a "Go Blue Devils!" :)

Head shots | Columbus, GA Photographer

Yesterday I posted a few images of the Hale brothers-today I wanted to show you a few head shots of just their mama. She is an author! She has literally written novels! As one who also loves to write, can I just say this fascinates me! She has an agent and is waiting to see when a publisher will pick up her manuscript and give her a contract.

She really needed some good head shots to use for publicity at writers conferences, business cards, blogs etc. Hopefully-one day soon, one of these shots will be on the back of one of her published novels! You can check out her writing and more information on her amazing testimony at www.JenniferKHale.com You can also follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/JenniferKHale I had a blast with you Jennifer and I am so blessed to be a part of your writing journey!

The Hales Family Session | Columbus, GA Photographer

Meet the Hale brothers. They do not run or walk anywhere, they chug and they puff. Their arms are traction rods and their baths are an opportunity for a shiny new coat of paint. They do not just "play" trains-they ARE trains! It is so much a part of their everyday life.

Jenny contacted me about a photo session and said she wanted it on the railroad tracks and I knew-I was going to have a blast! What better setting for these train lovin' boys than at the tracks?!? I love, love, love to document stages in children's lives. To say that kids grow up too fast, sounds cliche. But it's true. These boys will not enter high school wearing their Thomas the Train gear like they will in kindergarten.

When we arrived for the shoot, the oldest jumped out of the car, full of  excitement to get to see a place that trains used to be. It took us a few minutes to convince them that a train was not going to come down the tracks and that it was very safe to walk on them. After a few walking shots, I had Jenny pull out their train hats and toys and had the boys sit by the tracks and play. I love to capture children in their own little worlds, not shy or intimidated by a camera in their face, but simply at home being who they always are. There is such a sweet innocence about them in that moment.

Now let me just say, it was a hot, hot, hot morning-even with us starting very early. Did I mention it was HoT?!? I really think it was hands down, the hottest session I have ever worked-and living in the South, that's saying a lot! These boys were having so much fun and were such good little train engines, but even trains get hot and tired. It did not take long before they were ready to get in the nice air conditioned car. Personally, I could not wait to get these images off my camera and start editing.

I seriously had an absolute blast with the Hales! Thank you Brian and Jenny for giving me the opportunity to capture this stage in your boys lives. I hope that one day when they are grown, you will look back on these photos and say, "I remember when all they wanted to do was play trains and talk about trains and pretend they were trains." It really does go by so fast...

All About the Eyes | Columbus, GA Photographer

This week at I Heart Faces it is all about the eyes! You can tell so much about a person by looking them straight in the eyes. Are they kind, angry, mischievous, sad or overjoyed? I took this picture the other day as I was trying to get some homeschooling shots of my kids working. I want to remember these schooling days, but it is honestly such a struggle for me to remember to document my own life! Here's my youngest, sitting backwards in a chair at our school table, wanting so much to do some school himself. Shortly after this shot, his eyes were full of laughter as I found him coloring his shirt and our living room floor with the markers I had given him! I'm always amazed at the trouble they can get in when I'm sitting right by them!

Make sure you head on over to www.IHeartFaces.com to check out all the amazing entries! What a great way to start off the week! HaPpY MoNdAy everyone! :)

I ♥ Friends! | Columbus, GA Photographer

Did you know that this week is National Friendship Week? No? Me either! I am so thankful I Heart Faces reminded us all to reflect on the friendships in our lives through their photo themed challenge-"Friendships".

This is a picture of the friendship between a mother and daughter. Ashley is about to leave for a new adventure as a freshman in college. I can only imagine how bitter sweet that must be. I have no doubt that though the miles are between them and a new season in life has begun, their friendship will hold them together!

Make sure you head over to www.IHeartFaces.com to see all the fun entries! Happy Tuesday Everyone! Now go call your best friend :)
This photo was entered into the I Heart Faces photo challenge – http://iheartfaces.com” 

Back 2 School Promotion | Columbus, GA Photographer | Senior Portraits

This summer, I've had many Senior Portrait Sessions and I'm finding that I LOVE EACH AND EVERY ONE! They are always exciting and fun! There is so much to you can do photography-wise with one happy subject! It is such an exciting and memorable time in a young adults life. The world is open with new possibilities and journeys to begin. I still remember looking forward to my own Senior portraits when I was in high school!

With school starting back, I thought it would be fun to do a Senior Portrait Promotion! If you book a Senior Session by August 31, 2011, you will receive 40 die-cut wallets for free to hand out to all of your friends! After-all-those wallets are one of the best things about receiving your Senior photos-right?!? They become like trading cards among friends! The session does not have to be completed until October 31, 2011 so you have plenty of time to find a date on the calendar. 

I'm also holding a special BONUS promotion. Click on any of the Facebook, Twitter, email etc. share buttons at the bottom of this post to pass along the word of this promo~or any other creative idea you might have to get referrals :) Any sessions booked (and completed!) as a result, will earn you a $25 print credit PER REFERRAL on one future session! NO LIMIT!  

Now,  as a former Columbus High graduate, I must end this post with ~ Go Blue Devils :)

Photo Challenge | A Touch of Whimsy | Columbus Ga, Photographer

This week at  I Heart Faces, it's a "Whimsical Challenge"...hmmm...whimsical? The word make me think of sweet moments of children or running through flower fields or kids on vintage tricycles. While those are not too far off the map, the best definition I found (yep, I looked it up-my husband would be so proud!) was:


"spontaneously fanciful or playful; determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason".


This definition made me think of a picture I recently took at my sisters college graduation from North Georgia College and State University. After the ceremony we had a blast going all over campus to take pictures! I am so proud of her! 


Don't forget to head over to www.IHeartFaces.com to check out all the other entries! Happy Monday everyone-I hope you have an amazing week!

This photo was entered into the I Heart Faces photo challenge – http://iheartfaces.com” 

As Southerners say, "Hey Yall!" ǀ Columbus GA photographer

I once read somewhere that a photographer's web site is a lot like a business card. A web site usually has contact info, pricing information, samples of ones work etc. BUT- a photographer's blog-that's more like an introduction. It's where you become friends-can keep up and learn about the person without all that business mumbo jumbo. It has only taken me a year or so to finally get a photography blog going and even now it is a work in progress. I realized that if I keep waiting until I get it just right, then you'd probably never see it!

When I first meet someone, they usually ask, "So your name is Maryann?" while it honestly doesn't bother me if someone calls me by the wrong name, I'll usually respond with, "No it's Marion, like Maid Marion in Robin Hood." They will usually laugh, but after that, they remember. Names are important. Have you ever met someone and been surprised when they knew your name? Before I shoot a session I always want to know everyone's names-especially the children's. The bridge of a child being uncomfortable and becoming your friend comes much faster to cross when you can call them by name.

So here I am, the Marion behind Marion's Photography. Like most people, I wear many hats and there are days I struggle to keep all the wheels turning. I am a follower of Jesus, the Daughter of the One True King and very active in my church, Morningside Baptist. I'm the wife to the most amazing man who encourages me and loves me daily, even on my worst of days. We have four crazy-fun children, aged 12 to 2. We also homeschool those crazy-fun children-which yes, is crazy...but also fun! Lastly, I'm a photographer who passionately loves to capture memories to savor for generations down the road to share. I also love to write and there have been many times I've been able to combine the two. The Lord took a passion for photography and turned it into a profession, allowing me to live my "American Dream"!

My sweet tooth always craves Dr Pepper, coffee ice cream and Peanut M&M's (but not all together!).  I love to wake up to rain on a morning that I can sleep in and not go anywhere. I love to read-though I hardly ever have time to do it anymore. I have a new found love for working in my garden and I'm visually seeing my patience pay off as sunflowers are blooming. A huge weakness of mine is grammar-I'm terrible at it, so please forgive my mistakes! One silly thing I would not like to live without would be my Rainbow vacuum cleaner-love that thing!  I really like to try new recipes-my sisters and I are always swapping new ones we find (so please feel free to share your family favorite meals anytime!). If you opened my fridge, you'd probably find a tub of homemade chocolate chip cookie dough-ready to bake fresh cookies from the oven-just the way my husband likes them. One day I hope to go to Tuscany to photograph the beautiful sunsets-but in the meantime I'll enjoy the amazing colors of a Georgia evening sky.  No matter how tired I am, I will stay up a little later to do dishes just so I can wake up to a clean sink! Waking up to dirty dishes makes me feel like I'm barely out of bed and I'm already behind for the day! I love when my house is quiet and I can listen to Sara Groves and edit a recent photography session or write. On the flip side-I also love when my house is full of laughing, playing (nice!) children. Kids remind me that a lot of life can be  determined by your perspective. They can turn a towel into a cape, a tree into a pirate ship and they can say the silliest things that are also so full of wisdom! Life is never boring raising four children; there are all kinds of moments, but never a boring one! I grew up the oldest of five so I guess I've always been around contained chaos!

My Crew!

So in a teeny-tiny nut shell-this is me. I hope that through this blog we can become fast friends. It is my plan to share with you future sneak peeks (along with the stories behind them!), some photography secrets, giveaways and most important-a glimpse into the person behind the lens as I grow in this photography adventure the Lord has blessed me with! Please leave comments, ask me any questions and subscribe to the MP Blog! I look forward to hearing from you soon!

As a side note, I thought it might be fun to post a few pics of me working. Many of you know that for weddings and big events, I work as a Mother-Daughter team! My mom comes along as my assistant. She is a great second shooter and is wonderful at making sure I don't miss any of the little details. We really have the best time working together! God has blessed me so much with her support and her friendship! Mom also has a fun time snapping a few of me working! Here are just some from the last few weddings we've worked together. Some of these are SOOC so nothing fancy-but still fun for me to see what a goof I look like ;)